


Her Outlaw Hero

by WWEFanFictionFantasies (FanFictionFantasies)



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Damsels in Distress, Drama & Romance, F/M, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-13
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-03-12 03:50:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3342593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFictionFantasies/pseuds/WWEFanFictionFantasies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adelaide Watson is fleeing Tennessee—on the run from her violent past. </p><p>When she has a car accident on a lonely road in Charming, California, she has no choice but to walk to town for help.  But help comes to her instead.  In a very unexpected way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I feel the need to explain how I'm going to be writing this story, because I'm afraid it would be confusing if I didn't explain. So that being said... As far as the club goes, this story will be sort of what I would've envisioned happening had Jax done his prison time at the end of Season Six. In my story the following will go down:
> 
> Jax has gotten the club's loose ends tied up (as he did at the end of Season 7) and he will be doing his prison time as he was supposed to do at the end of Season 6.
> 
> Tara is not dead, and nor did she pin the death of her "unborn child" on Gemma. She and Gemma just had very heated discussions about whether Tara would leave Charming with the boys or not. I'm also going to have Tara actually be pregnant with a baby girl.
> 
> Hopefully I've explained this in a way that won't confuse. I'm having to totally do this story in my own blinded way, lol, because I've not yet watched Season 7, although I do know how the series ended—I just don't know all the minor details. I didn't want the depression of Jax, Gemma, Tara, well, heck... EVERYONE (just about) being dead. So, hopefully this story will be enjoyed despite the fact that I'm totally butchering a lot of what Kurt Sutter thought of, lol. But dang it, I just don't have the heart to leave all of these awesome characters dead. However, I do need to point out that any characters up to Opie's death (including Opie) will remain dead. Also, Clay will be dead because I liked Gemma with Nero.
> 
> So, like I said, hopefully I've not confused anyone worse than if I'd not explained at all, lol. If I have, then just try to wipe your mind clean of the show, and try to enjoy my story regardless, LOL. :) Thanks! Hope this is enjoyed since it is a totally new fandom for me! :)

  


 

_**Chapter 1** _

 

**Prologue**

 

"What are you trying to say, Laidey?"

"It's over, Liam," Adelaide Watson whispered, her voice trembling. She tried to face her soon to be ex-boyfriend bravely from across their dinner table. "I can't let you continue to control my life. You're making me do things I don't feel comfortable with."

Seemingly trying to control his rage, Liam Walker took a deep breath before speaking. "What have I ever done to make you uncomfortable," he asked, more than a hint of condescension in his tone.

 _Beat me half to death_ , _for one_ , Adelaide thought sardonically. "Insisting I live with you," she answered instead. "I'm not comfortable with that, especially since we've never had sex. But you forced me to move in anyway. I'm afraid you'll expect sex next, and that can't— _won't_ —happen. Because I don't love you. And I won't make love with a man I don't love."

"We'll be married soon," Liam stated, taking a sip of his red wine. "I'm sure you'll feel more comfortable with it then."

"We…W-we _won't_ be married soon," she stammered, and then silently scolded herself for her fear. Clearing her throat softly and forcing a bravado she didn't feel, she spoke again, "We're not going to be married _ever_. I just told you—I don't love you. It's over. I'm through being controlled and beaten—scared to death. I'm taking my life back, Liam."

It all happened in a blur.

In the next instant, the table was flipped effortlessly, and Adelaide felt herself falling backward in her chair. Her head exploded in pain as it smacked down against the hard wood floor.

"No," she whimpered torpidly as Liam grabbed her by the throat. Attempting to fight back, she slapped and clawed at his face in the hopes of freeing herself so she could run. He drew his fist back and drove it into her cheekbone to stun her. When that didn't work well enough, he latched onto a hank of her long, dark hair and drove the back of her head against the floor even harder than the first time it hit.

Adelaide's blue eyes dimmed slightly and her grip on his wrist slipped. More than a little dazed, she melted against the floor and battled the urge to let her eyes fall closed.

"You are _mine_ , Laidey," Liam growled in her ear, "and you WILL do whatever I tell you to. Got that?"

"I…h-hate…you…" Adelaide managed to push the words past her lips and then immediately flinched in preparation for the hard blow that was sure to come.

And it did. Lightning quick, he stood to his feet and issued her a hard kick to the rib cage. She cried out softly as the air whooshed from her lungs. She heard a slight cracking sound and fought for a small breath of oxygen to enter her lungs. "L-Liam…please…" she sobbed, pushing futilely at his hard chest. She was vaguely aware of the sound of a zipper, and then her skirt was being hiked up over her hips. She was yanked downward as he tore off her panties and ripped her legs apart. He shifted his pelvis to settle in the cradle of her hips, giving her a blatant feel of his arousal.

"No," she managed to scream, and began fighting him again. "STOP IT!"

She received a hard slap and then felt her top rip open. Liam lowered his head and buried his face against her chest. Adelaide sobbed, and began striking his head with her balled up fists. This only seemed to enrage him further however, and he pulled her closer against his body, sinking his teeth into the tender flesh of her breast.

"No one will have you but me," he snarled in her face as she shrieked. "I'm going to take you, and then _kill_ you. No one else will have you, ever—only me!"

"No," she sobbed softly, "Please, Liam…"

With a sadistic grin, he grabbed hold of her waist and ferociously slammed his hips against hers, entering her body as she screamed in pain.  
"Ahh, yes, Laidey," he growled, withdrawing his hips. He plunged back inside her again. "So good..."

Adelaide's untried body screamed in protest as he pulled his hips back and then shoved himself inside her yet again. She felt a ripping sensation within her core from the fury of his assault. "PLEASE, STOP IT," she screamed, frantic with the need for the pain to stop. Tears streamed from her eyes, but Liam never even paused for her body to adjust to his size.

She pushed at his chest and shoulders as his thrusts became frenzied, but he ignored her struggle and continued his savage invasion of her body. His hips thrusted against hers more rapidly and his breathing became harsh pants in her ear. Finally his hips slowed and a long, throaty growl emerged from his throat. Adelaide reached up above her head, her hands scrambling, searching for an object—anything to use as a weapon. And in the next instant, her fingers closed around the edging of her heavy, ceramic fruit bowl that had fallen to the floor in their battle.

Immediately, she slammed the bowl down onto his head. He grunted in pain, but it didn't seem to faze him enough for her to get free, so Adelaide brought it down on his head again. And again.

Liam finally slumped against her, fully unconscious. Adelaide nearly succumbed to unconsciousness herself, but forced her eyes to stay open and barely managed to crawl from under Liam's dead weight. Then she quickly grabbed her keys and wallet from the hall table and scrambled for her car.


	2. A New Beginning

 

"This is killin' me inside, brother," Chibs Telford said, his Scottish accent thickening even more with the emotion in his tone. He and Jackson Teller stood outside the chapel of their newly renovated club house. He looked Jax in the eye, and whispered, "Are ya sure this is what ya want, Jackie boy? You can do your prison time and come back, ya know that, right? The club won't be the same without a Teller—without _you_."

"This is _exactly_ what I want, Chibs," Jax said softly, a bittersweet smile crossing his face. "I want to pay my debt to society. Then I want to come home to my wife and take our boys, and go somewhere nobody knows us. We need a fresh start." He grinned at his comrade, true peace on his face for the first time in ages. "You'll do great as Prez, I know you will. I'm depending on you to keep the club clean, brother," he said, grasping the older man's shoulder. "It's time we changed our ways and did some good for society. At the very least—not do any more bad than we've already done."

"I get it, Jax. I get it," Chibs replied, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I guess inside, I'm just an 'ol softie. I hate to see ya go. But, I do promise to keep the club legit. We're done with the outlaw life—even though that's all we'll ever be seen as."

Jax nodded, "Yeah, I know. But you'll know the truth—you all will." He patted Chibs on the back hard and nudged him to through the chapel door. "Now, go get the votes done, Prez," he said, trying to sound light-hearted. "Patterson and her lap dogs will be here soon to cart me off."

Chibs puffed out a sigh as he closed the chapel's doors behind him. He sat in the VP's chair at the reaper table and scooted the chair nearer the table. Giving a nod to the other club members, he finally managed to speak over the lump in his throat.

"Okay, fellas. We're having this meeting because Jax wishes to step down as president—due to his serving prison time. And he also wants to be excommunicated from the club upon his release."

One could have heard a pin drop on the floor.

It was no surprise because Jax had spoken to each member and voiced his wishes, but it was still difficult for the men to imagine not only the Sons of Anarchy being minus Jax Teller, but to imagine the club _excommunicating_ him. Excommunication from the club was the equivalent to the military issuing a soldier a dishonorable discharge.

But that's what they were asked to do, and that's what they planned to do. Difficult as it may be for them. The club life was seldom an easy one.

"We'll vote them both at the same time because we're short on time. All those…All those in favor," Chibs stammered out. He swallowed hard to gain his composure and began again. "All those in favor of Jackson Teller stepping down as President from the Sons of Anarchy, and all those in favor of excommunicating him." He turned his gaze to his left and wordlessly indicated that it was time for Quinn to begin the vote.

"Yea, and yea," Quinn said a dead look in his eyes. Ignoring his emotions was the only way for him to say the words without choking up.

"Yes, and yes," Bobby stated with little hesitation. The older man knew what it meant to Jax to leave the club and start a new life. As much as Jax loved the club, it'd almost cost him his family.

"Y-yea, and yea," Juice stuttered out, and then breathed out a loud sigh.

"Yes, and yes," voted Montez, looking down at the table as he spoke.

Rat glanced around the table and then down at his hands, obviously conflicted. He felt Tig place his hand comfortingly on his shoulder. Glancing up into the older man's vivid blue eyes, he knew what he had to do.

"Yea, and yea," he finally spoke.

Tig nodded in appreciation of the younger man's devotion to their club then turned his gaze on Chibs. "Yea, and yea," he said, after taking a deep breath.

Chibs nodded in solidarity to his fellow club brother and then shifted his dark eyes to Happy.

Happy uttered a soft curse before speaking louder, "Yea, and yea."

Wishing the voting would've taken a little longer, Chibs battled for the strength to do what he knew he had to. Wiping at a tear, and clearing his throat he managed to say softly, "Yes, and yes." He picked up the gavel and then cleared his throat once more, "Jackson Teller steps down as President and will hereby be excommunicated from the Sons Of Anarchy." He tapped the gavel on the table and then slid it over to Jax's empty place—the seat that would very soon be his.

But he couldn't be happy about it.

 

0000000

 

Jax stood at the MC's bar before his family and friends with a beer in his hand. Tara stood at his side with Thomas in her arms and Abel standing beside her.

"I wish it hadn't come to this," Tara whispered, jostling Thomas on her hip. "I hate you have to do more time just to ensure we get to leave Charming."

"I hate it too, babe, but nothing's for free," Jax replied, ruffling Abel's blond hair as he spoke. "Besides, I'd be kidding myself if I thought I was gonna get out of this with no prison time. If I'm lucky, I'll get out in seven years on good behavior. After that, we can get out of here and go anywhere you want to go."

Tara looked sad for a moment and seemed to have trouble with her words.

"What is it? You can tell me," Jax prodded her with a soft kiss to her mouth.

She smiled softly up at him, "I've just been thinking… Gemma and I had a long talk yesterday. We started out kind of heated—like we usually do," she chuckled slightly, "But I think we really got through to each other. She agrees that she's been way too possessive of the boys, and I realize that I was wrong to keep her from seeing them as much."

"So…" Jax said slowly, "What exactly does this mean?"

Tara smiled happily, "We are working on our differences. And I think… While you're in prison, I think I want to stay in Charming."

Jax grinned happily, "Really? That's what you want?"

She laughed, "Yes. Charming is our home. I used to have trouble accepting that, but it is. You have the club on the right track, and Chibs will keep it that way. The club is our family too. And I've been selfish to try and keep you from it. The guys have always been good to all of us. I can't make you turn your back on them and leave them behind."

Jax chuckled and slung his arm around her shoulders, "Well, they already held a vote—I'm stepping down as President, and I'll be excommunicated upon my prison release."

"Oh, no," Tara exclaimed, "I'm so sorry! I should've-"

"Don't sweat it, babe," Jax told her. "I was ready to leave the club, and the excommunication was my idea. These guys will always be my family. I can still hang with them."

"Are you sure that's okay with you?"

"It's totally okay," Jax promised her. "This is our happy ending, Tara. Let's be thankful because this all could've ended so much worse."

"I know," Tara agreed, touching her forehead to Jax's. "I hate that you are going to prison, but I'm just so glad the worst part is over."

"Me too," Jax agreed. "Now, I'd better make my parting speech. Patterson will be here soon."

Giving him an encouraging smile, Tara moved herself and the boys aside so Jax could speak to their large group of family and friends.

"Well, everyone," he started, "I just want to start by saying, I love you all. You've all been there for me, in one way or another, and I can't thank you enough." He paused then and swallowed hard. "You guys are as much my family as my mother, wife, and sons. I wanted to make the Sons Of Anarchy legitimate, and fulfill my father's legacy, and with these men's help," he gestured to the rest of the club members, "Well, I think we've achieved that. And I couldn't be happier. I just wish I could be here for the next seven years instead of prison so I could enjoy it. Which reminds me, my wife just made me even happier when she informed me that she'll be staying here with my sons and we'll continue to live here instead of moving off somewhere."

The large crowd roared and hooted their approval. Jax laughed and let them carry on for a moment before he raised his hand and indicated he had more to say.

"Also, I'm stepping down as President of the Sons of Anarchy, and I will be excommunicated upon my return—by my own wishes," he clarified when he heard several gasps. "This is what's easiest for the club, and what's _best_ for the club."

"Actually, Jackie boy, we took another vote a little while ago."

Jax turned toward Chibs' voice and found the Scotsman to be wearing the grin of a Cheshire cat.

"As the new president, I proposed we vote to veto the last vote—the one that excommunicates you, brother. We can't have that. The vote passed. When you get out of prison, you are welcome to have a vote, and a seat at the reaper table if you want it, or you're free to leave the club without being excommunicated. Either way, you're family. We can't punish you—not when you've done so much good for this club."

Jax was clearly moved as he walked over to Chibs and grabbed him in a rough bear hug.

"Thank you, brother," he whispered in his ear. He pecked him on the cheek and then proceeded to hug the rest of his brothers. "I can't thank you guys enough. I couldn't ask for better brothers."

"Likewise," Tig said, returning his hug.

The sound of a car pulling up outside shifted the light-hearted atmosphere into a sadder one.

"That's my ride," Jax quipped with a chuckle. Immediately, Tara and Gemma shot forward to have a last hug and kiss from the man they both loved.

"I love you," Tara said, kissing him softly on the mouth. "And I'll be here when you get back."

"I know, darlin'," he smiled. "I know you will. And I love you too."

"You be careful," Gemma said, reaching out to hug him, "I love you, baby."

"Love you too, Mom," Jax returned, kissing her cheek. "You two get along and take care of my boys."

"We will," Gemma said, "You just worry about you. Everything will be fine here."

Tara nodded her agreement and kissed him one last time before he knelt down to Abel to say goodbye.

"You take care of your brother and Mommy while Daddy's gone, okay, big guy?"

Abel nodded and smiled up at his dad, "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, son," he replied. Then he held Thomas for a moment as D.A. Tyne Patterson walked in with an officer to make Jax's arrest official.

Within minutes, Jax was cuffed, read his rights and unceremoniously escorted out the doors of the club's front door.

His family and friends watched in heartbroken silence as he was driven away, and Tara began her long wait for a new beginning with her husband.


	3. Canine On A Mission

 

 

Adelaide parked her Nissan Versa in the alley behind the house of her best friend, Angela McSands. Gingerly getting out of the car while also trying to calm her swimming head, she tried to hurry toward Angela's back door and then proceeded to pound on it.

"Angie! Angie, please open the door—it's Addy!" She pounded as loudly as she could with her fists, and then with the palms of her hands till they both stung. "Angela!" _Oh, God, please let her be home_ , she prayed.

The door opened suddenly and Angela emerged clad in a terrycloth bathrobe, her short, blond hair still wet from an apparent shower. "Oh, my God—Addy! What hap-" Her gaze raked quickly over Adelaide's slender frame and took in every detail. Her best friend's temple had a goose egg, a bruise marred the alabaster skin of her cheek, and her lip was split. And that was only what she was able to see. There was no telling what injuries Liam Walker had bestowed Adelaide with underneath her clothes. "It was Liam, wasn't it?" She gently tugged her unsteady friend into her house. "Come inside. Let's get you cleaned up and into some…" She trailed off when she fully took in the state of Adelaide's ripped and disheveled clothing. There was no denying what had happened. "Oh, Addy… I'm so sorry…" She hugged her friend close and stroked her dark hair, then led her into the living room. "Come on, honey. Let's get you to the hospital. They'll need to do a rape kit."

"No," Adelaide whispered, as Angela led her into the living room. She sank weakly down onto the sofa. "He's a cop, Angie. He'll get away with it. Then he'll kill me."

"But, there's proof, Addy. Your clothes, the cuts and bruises, his DNA…"

"He'll turn it around somehow. That is, if he's still alive."

"What do you mean," Angela asked, sitting down beside her and brushing some tangled hair out of Adelaide's face.

"He was raping me, and I… I tried to fight him off. I was feeling for a weapon to use and I was able to grab my heavy fruit bowl." She shuddered before continuing. "I hit him on the head with it—several times. I don't even know if he's alive. If he's dead, I'm in even deeper trouble."

"No, honey," her friend tried to convince her. "If he's dead, then you can explain it as self-defense…"

"You don't get it," Adelaide cried, wrapping her arms around herself. "They're his friends! They won't believe a word I say! They'll think I murdered him!"

Angela was silent for a moment and let this sink in. _Maybe she's right_ , she thought. _If she's this terrified, there's a reason._ "Okay," she finally said. "You need to get out of here, and soon. Go get a shower so your appearance doesn't get noticed and raise questions. Then you're going to take one of my cars and get out of town—far away from here."

"But what about _my_ car? If Liam sees it parked here, he'll hurt you—"

"I'll drive it into the river. Don't worry. It'll look like you drowned. He'll never know."

Tears filled Adelaide's blue eyes again. "We may never see each other again."

Angela nodded sadly. "I know. But your safety has to come first. That's what matters most to me."

Adelaide sniffled and wiped at her tears. "And yours matters most to me."

"I'll be fine," Angela assured her, placing her hand over Adelaide's. "Like I said, I'll take care of your car. If Liam thinks your dead, he's got no reason to do anything to me. Okay? So go get yourself cleaned up and I'll get you some fresh clothes together."

About twenty minutes later, Adelaide was showered and wearing a pair of jeans, a black WWE t-shirt and sneakers. Angela handed her a key to her old Jeep, a small suitcase of clothes along with a pocket knife, and then proceeded to press many paper bills into her hand. "And take this too."

"No, Angie. It's bad enough you're giving me one of your cars. I have money. I stopped at an ATM before I came-"

"Hon, I could care less about the money. It's only a few hundred dollars, but it could help get you out of a bind. I'll sleep a lot better knowing I've done everything I can to help you."

Adelaide swallowed hard and smiled sadly at her best friend. "I would never have made it without you."

"Oh, yes you would've," Angela contradicted her, her green eyes filling with tears. "You're stronger than you realize, Addy. You're going to be fine, honey. Now get out of here, and start living again."

"I'm going to miss you," Adelaide said, hugging her friend close. "So much."

"I'll miss you too, but I'll take comfort in knowing you're alive," Angela replied, returning Adelaide's hug.

"Be sure and get my cell number out of your contacts," Adelaide warned. "I left my cell phone behind and if you call it, Liam will realize you know something."

Angela nodded, "I'll take care of it right now."

Minutes later, Adelaide was pulling out of Angela's garage and began heading for Interstate 40 West, tears streaming down her face.

 

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

 

 

 

A loud curse echoed throughout the MC's clubhouse. Juice rubbed his shaved head for the third time in one game of pool. "You're gonna take my head off if you keep jumpin' the cue ball like that," Juice shouted at Rat. "What are ya trying to pull, bro?"

"I was just trying a new trick is all, settle down, Juicey," Rat grumbled as he picked the cue ball up from the floor and put it back on the pool table.

"How about ya play the right way, and then I'll settle down," Juice retorted.

"How about the two of ya quit bickering like a couple of little girlies," Chibs asked from the bar. "I can't hear myself think!"

The two smaller men each mumbled something unintelligible under their breath but resumed their game in a quieter manner.

Daisy, Tig's pet pit bull he rescued from a dog fight, scratched at the club's front door and whined for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past half hour.

"What's with her," Happy asked, draining his beer bottle.

"I don't know," Tig replied thoughtfully. "I just took her out to use the bathroom, and she took a long piss, so I'm totally clueless."

"Maybe she's constipated," Chucky suggested, wiping down the bar. He blushed when he noticed everyone staring at him. "I mean… Ya know… It's a possibility."

"Shut up and grab me another beer, Chucky," Happy ordered.

"I accept that," Chucky murmured, grabbing another bottle of brew from the cooler.

At that moment, Quinn returned from a repossession and opened the door to enter the club house, and Daisy took that instant to flee.

"Daisy," Tig yelled. "Come back, girl!" He shot up from his seat and bolted for the door. Sticking his head out, he was distraught when he discovered the dog had completely vanished. "I've gotta find her. Chibs…help me out, brother?"

"Ah, come on," Chibs groaned. "What am _I_ supposed to do?"

"Drive the van," Tig suggested, his vivid blue eyes pleading with his friend. "I can't very well bring her back on my bike, and she gets nervous in a vehicle. Someone needs to drive while I keep her calm."

"Mother Mary," Chibs growled as he pulled out the keys to the club's van and put on his sunglasses. "Let's go get this over with." The two men hurried out to the van and pulled out onto the road.

"Did you see what direction she went," Chibs asked Tig.

"No. Not really. DAISY! WHERE ARE YA, BABY," he shouted.

Chibs cursed and looked at his friend as if he were crazy. "Do you really think-"

Tig shushed him and yelled for Daisy again. To Chibs' utter surprise, he could hear the dog barking in the distance.

"That way! Go," Tig hooted, happy to have an idea of where his dog was. "I know my girl, Chibby! Follow that bark!"

Rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses, Chibs turned the van in the direction the dog's barks came from and they drove down the road, keeping their eyes peeled for Tig's pit bull.

 

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

 

 

 

Adelaide touched a hand to her head as another wave of dizziness came over her. She groaned softly at the pain and struggled to keep her eyes open.

"At least I'm just on an empty old dirt road," she reasoned with herself. _If I come across some traffic, I'll have to pull over until this dizziness passes_.

In the next instant, she was aware of opening her eyes and discovered she was in the wrong lane. Reflexively, she jerked the wheel back into the right lane and breathed a shuddering sigh. Realizing she was briefly losing consciousness, she rolled her window down the rest of the way in hopes of getting some more air. The California heat was stifling and the old Jeep's air-conditioner had long ago kicked the bucket.

"I need water," she thought out loud, realizing she must be severely dehydrated.

She couldn't even remember her last sip of liquid or bite of food, or sleep for that matter. She'd been in such a hurry to get away from Nashville, she drove for two days strait. She'd been too frightened to pull over and close her eyes, afraid that Liam—or someone affiliated with him—would capture her when she was at her most vulnerable.

Suddenly, Adelaide realized she was coming too again, and prepared to jerk the wheel into the appropriate lane once more. But too late, she saw a telephone pole looming just ahead of her. A hard collision followed, along with the sound of breaking glass and grating metal. If not for the airbag deploying, she would have smacked hard into the steering wheel. Her head was spared yet another trauma, but her ribs weren't. The airbag's tautened material slammed into her hard, and she heard a very audible cracking sound as a burning pain shot up and down her side. The car slammed to a stop and she gasped and sobbed as another agonizing stab of pain sucker punched her.

"Oh….my God…" she wheezed out, shocked by the sudden pain.

She grasped the key and turned it in the ignition, and the engine tried to turn over but didn't manage it. Adelaide tried a couple more times, but gave up on it when it became clear the car was not going to start. She grabbed the small pocket knife Angela gave her and somehow managed the strength to open her door and feebly climb out of the Jeep. Her legs wouldn't hold her, however, and she sank to her knees.

"Get up," she ordered herself, teeth clenched. "You don't have time to fall apart. Not yet."

Shakily, she held onto the car for support as she stood to her feet. _I have to get to a mechanic and see if they'll tow the Jeep and repair it_ , she thought. _And then I need a hotel where I can get some sleep, or I'm going to end up killing myself and possibly some innocent people._

Slowly, she began her long walk down the road, in hopes of finding a mechanic that would help her out.

 

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

 

 

 

Chibs continued driving down the road as Tig leaned out the passenger side window calling for Daisy.

"I think we've lost her, brother," Chibs said softly, aware of how much the dog meant to his friend. "I haven't heard her bark in several minutes."

"She's here, I know it," Tig insisted, and then he pointed at what looked to be a dark-haired woman up ahead of them. "Look, there's someone walking down the road. Pull up beside them. Maybe they've seen her."

Skeptical, but humoring his friend, Chibs pulled up beside a woman walking at the side of the road. "Hey lady, have ya by any chance seen a white pit bull around here," Chibs asked. "My friend's lost his dog and we thought she'd headed this way."

The young woman seemed to be startled by his inquiry but she turned to glance in his direction, the sun catching on her icy blue eyes, "Y-yeah… I did," she replied softly. "She w-went up th-that way…" She motioned behind her with a wave of her hand.

"Thanks," Tig called from the passenger side. "Let's go, Chibs!"

"Just a sec," the Scotsman muttered under his breath. Something wasn't right. The woman was moving very slowly and he'd noticed bruising on her pale face. "Are you alright, lady? Do you need a ride somewhere?"

The woman seemed to jump out of her skin again, and shook her head without paying him even a glance. "No, thank y-you. I-I'm fine."

"Ya sure? It's an awfully hot day to be walking a long distance," he pressed, noting her jean-clad legs. _The black t-shirt can't help matters either_ , he thought, recalling how hot the club's black clothing could get in the heat of the California sun. "I can give you a lift somewhere if ya want."

"No," the woman answered curtly, without even looking up and kept walking gingerly in the other direction.

Chibs sensed Tig was about to set out on foot himself to go retrieve his dog. So, feeling conflicted, he drove on in search of Daisy.

Minutes later, and a few miles down the road, they spotted an older model Jeep wrecked against a telephone pole.

"Wow," Tig said, "That's one busted up Jeep. Do you think it belongs to the woman we passed a few miles back?"

"That would be my guess," Chibs replied grimly. "She's got to be hurt. I saw some bruises on her face, and-" He cut off when he noticed Daisy sitting dutifully by the Jeep. "What the…?"

"She was trying to lead us to her," Tig commented. "She somehow knew what happened to that woman."

"I think you're giving your dog a little too much credit," Chibs said skeptically.

"How else would you explain it," Tig asked.

Chibs pulled to a stop next to the vacated car, his black eyes flashing, "I don't know. Get your dog and we're gonna go help the woman."

Tig climbed out of the van and approached Daisy, "Come on, girl," he coaxed. "Come back with me, baby. We're gonna go help the lady. Come on." He led the apprehensive dog back to the van and then lifted her up and settled her on his lap once he climbed into the passenger seat."

In the next instant, Chibs pulled a sharp U-turn and headed back for the dark-haired stranger.


	4. An Impromptu Rescue

 

Adelaide paused a moment to try and catch her breath before she continued her long trek down the silent, empty road. She heard a vehicle in the distance and glanced behind her. Her breathing quickened as she recognized the same dark van from earlier. Apparently, the men found their dog and were returning from where they'd originally come.

Trying to ignore her pain and dizziness, Adelaide set about walking again, hoping against hope the two men would just pass by and leave her alone.

They frightened her. They looked more than a little rough around the edges with their leather vests and longish hair. The one that spoke to her sounded kind and had an attractive, thick Scottish accent, but…

 _That's irrelevant_ , Adelaide told herself. _Liam is handsome_ _—_ _a cop for crying out loud_! _And I should have stayed_ _far_ _away from him. I've learned my lesson—the hard way._

She shuddered as her thoughts returned to the men's van.

 _They could be hiding several victims,_ she thought. _Or_ _more scary men, for that matter._

Needless to say, the thought didn't calm her nerves the tiniest bit.

Trying to breathe through the nagging pain in her ribs, Adelaide managed to take a few more slow steps before suddenly crumpling to her knees again. Pain surged down her shin as her knee connected with a rock. She was vaguely aware of the sound of an engine revving and tires crunching over clumps of dirt and rocks.

"No," she whispered, fear engulfing her. Her heart-rate sped up as her chest heaved for air. _So the men_ do _have plans to attack me_! She pulled the small pocket knife from her jeans pocket and flicked it open. _I wonder if this is random or if Liam sent them._ Trying to manufacture an adrenaline surge, she climbed unsteadily to her feet. "Please, just leave me alone…" she thought aloud, as she resumed her feeble walk. "Just drive past me…"

She had no recollection of stumbling but in the next instant, she was on her knees again and staring at the ground.

A car door slammed and then strong hands suddenly pulled her to her feet.

"Are you okay, lady," a warm, accented voice asked.

_You're mine, Laidey…_

"NO!"

The scream tore from her throat and she flung her knifed hand out, attempting to stab or maim, but a man's hand caught her wrist and prevented severe injury. Her ribs screamed in protest as she was grabbed and held tightly.

"Let…m-me…go…" she sobbed, glancing up as she felt herself being pushed backward. Liam's face glared down at her fiercely. "God…no…" she whispered. Then his face shifted and changed completely. An older man looked down at her, a mixture of alarm and unease on his handsome face.

 _The Scotsman from the van_ , she realized in fear.

A black goatee and mustache speckled with gray adorned the lower half of his face, and he had a scar slashing up each of his cheeks. The man's eyes were so dark they could only be referred to as black—and despite his dark gaze burning into hers, he wore an expression of deep concern.

Gently, but firmly, he nudged her up against the driver's side door of the van and pinned her arms to her sides. In the next instant, the other man inside the van leaned out and clasped his hand over her mouth.

"Easy, lady," the guy said softly. "We're not going to hurt-" He cursed loudly when Adelaide's teeth sunk into the tender flesh of his palm. "SHIT!"

She began fighting furiously with the Scotsman in the hopes of an escape. But his solution to her struggle was to press his body firmly against hers so as to stop her squirming. Still trying to fight him, she quickly exhausted herself and slumped against her captor.

"Please…" she sobbed. "Please, don't hurt me…"

To her surprise, she felt the Scotsman's hand tenderly touch her forehead, then her neck.

"She's burning up," he said to his friend who'd emerged from the van holding his injured hand. "Her pulse is racing. And I'm willin' to bet she's hallucinatin'."

Adelaide felt herself fading and slid down the side of the van, till a pair of strong arms held her up.

"She needs a hospital."

"NO," she gasped loudly, as she had a sudden adrenaline rush. She struggled against the man some more. "Please… No hospital… I just… need a hotel… room… some sleep…"

"You need a lot more than that, lass," came the soft, Scottish-twanged reply.

Adelaide felt her arm being draped around the man's neck, and then the sensation of being lifted and cradled against his strong chest.

"Please, don't hurt me," she whispered, and sobbed softly. She grasped at the Scotsman's shirt collar as if to get his full attention. "Please…" Her head grew fuzzier till she had no choice but to let it fall against the man's shoulder.

"We're not gonna hurt ya," the man drawled with his accent. "We're gonna help ya and keep ya safe. Just stay calm, lady."

"No…" she mumbled. A cold shiver racked her slender frame, "Please, don't call… me that…"

"All right. Shhh," came the soothing reply. She felt herself being carried then, "How about tellin' me your name then, lass?"

She was laid down in what she guessed was the inside of the van. "Can I… sleep first? So… sleepy…"

"No, try to stay awake lad—Try to stay awake for me, okay?"

Adelaide was unable to answer as she drifted into a black oblivion.

 

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

 

Chibs cursed under his breath as he watched the young woman's eyes dim and grow heavier, till they finally closed completely.

"Tig, drive," he ordered urgently, "Get us back to the club house. I have some supplies there. And keep the dog up there with you. I have to see what I can do for the woman."

Wordlessly, Tig climbed behind the wheel and was barreling down the road only seconds later.

Chibs pressed his fingers to the side of the woman's neck and counted her pulse.

 _One fifty-two_ , he thought to himself. _At the very least_. _That's not good—at all._ Her skin was flushed, dry, and blazing hot—which meant she had a huge fever that was yet to break. "Sunstroke," he murmured to himself as he recalled her long walk from her car. _I'd bet money on it_.

"What," Tig called from up front.

"I think she's had sunstroke," Chibs called back.

Tig growled a curse and sped up the van, "How do you treat that?"

"Ice-water bath and IV fluids," Chibs replied, "But I may need meds too. When we get there, call Tara. See if she has time to come help me treat a sunstroke victim. In the meantime crank up the A/C full blast."

Tig obediently turned up the air-conditioning as high as it would go. "What was she thinking…walking out in this heat? Why didn't she call 9-1-1 or something?"

"Don't know," Chibs answered, dousing a cloth with a bottle of water and applying it to her scorching forehead. "Not important right now." He heard her whimper softly as the cool cloth touched her scorching head. A shiver racked her slight body.

"She's having chills, Tig, hurry."

Within a couple minutes, Tig pulled the van up to the clubhouse and got out to open the doors for Chibs. As he was leading Daisy to her tie-out, Venus Van Dam, his old lady came running out of the clubhouse.

"Oh, thank goodness you found her," she cried, running up to Tig. "Juice called me and said she ran off!"

"Relax, baby," Tig said, hugging his woman closely. "We got her back. And she helped us save a woman who was in trouble," he reported proudly.

"Oh, my," Venus drawled in her thick Southern accent. She looked over Tig's shoulder to see Chibs climbing out the back of the van. She watched as he tugged a woman's limp frame into his arms, and prepared to carry her inside. "The poor thing," she gasped, placing her hand over her heart. "What happened to her?"

"Long story short—Chibs thinks she has sunstroke."

"Tiggy! Call Tara," Chibs reminded him as he carried the woman toward the clubhouse, "I need her—like, ten minutes ago."

"Right," Tig said, and pulled out his cell. "I'm on it, brother."

"I'm going inside to see if there's anything I can do," Venus said, squeezing Tig's arm. She hurried back to the clubhouse to lavish the unconscious woman with her special gift of Southern hospitality.

She entered the clubhouse just ahead of Chibs, and waved her arms in a scatting motion, "Clear a path boys," she said loudly, clapping her hands. "There's a lady in need of medical attention here."

"Whoa," Happy exclaimed when he spotted Chibs carrying the female. "What's this," he asked, lunging forward and holding the door open for him.

"She crashed her car and was trying to walk somewhere. Sunstroke," Chibs explained. "Get the pool table cleared. I need to examine her and see what she needs." He heard Tig reenter the building as he carried the woman to the pool table and waited while Venus and Juice hurriedly began clearing the table of the balls and cue sticks.

"Tara's on her way, Chibs," he reported. "What else can I do?"

"Grab a pillow for her head," Chibs began to toss orders, getting fully into medic-mode. "And I need ice. LOTS of it— _everyone_ chip in with that. Make ice packs and someone else run a tub of cool water in one of the dorm bathrooms—dump some ice into that too." He cursed lightly then when the woman began convulsing. "Go BUY ice if ya have to boys. I'm gonna need a shit ton of it."

"I'll go get the bath drawn," Venus announced, once the pool table was cleared off, and hurried back to one of the dorms. Chibs gently deposited the shuddering woman onto the pool table's surface while everyone else went to raid the refrigerators' ice bins for the much needed ice. Bobby grabbed his key to the van and left to go purchase some as well.

Careful not to bump her head against the edging of the table, Chibs situated the woman so he could examine her to the best of his ability. She looked as though she'd already taken a blow or two to the head, judging from her bruises, so he didn't want to make any possible head injury worse.

 _And I don't think the bruises are from the accident_ , he thought, eyeing her damaged pale skin. _They're not fresh enough_. _Most of them are at least a couple days old._

Tig returned with a pillow and gently lifted the woman's head so he could place it beneath her. She whimpered softly, but otherwise didn't stir.

"It's okay," Tig told her softly, brushing her hair away from her face. "We're taking care of you."

Chibs had grabbed a blood pressure kit and temporal thermometer and began to check her vitals. A minute later, he released the air valve on the inflation bulb and frowned from the results. He pulled the stethoscope from his ears and glanced at his watch.

"How is she," Tig asked.

"Not good," he replied, taking her pulse again. "Her temperature is 106.7, blood pressure is 216 over 118, and her pulse is so fast I can't count it. I hope Tara gets here soon." He looked at Tig then. "Go get the coat tree and a coat hanger to hang an IV on, okay?"

"You got it," Tig answered, and went to round up the items.

Chibs headed to one of their medical supply closets to get the materials he needed to start an IV and then hurried back to the woman—who was convulsing again. Tig already had the coat tree and hanger set up for him. Chibs quickly hung up the bag and did the necessary checks on the bag and tubing to make sure no air bubbles were present, then began the task of inserting the needle and getting the IV to delivering fluid to the woman. "Hold her in case she starts convulsing again," Chibs ordered. "I have to hit the vein just right."

"I'm here," came Tara's voice from the front of the room. "How bad is she?"

"Bad," both men answered in unison.

"She's had a couple of convulsions," Chibs said, and reported the woman's vital stats to her. "Have you got any meds with you that can help with any of that?"

Tara immediately opened her bag and pulled out some vials of medicine and syringes.

"Phenobarbital should take care of the convulsions," she said, drawing up a dose to inject into the IV. "It'll sedate her enough that she won't suffer through the ice water baths either. For her pulse and heart I'll give her some Inderal and Dobutimine, because if we don't slow that pulse down soon, her heart will fail."

Bobby entered then patted Chibs on the back, "I have a ton of ice in the van, brother. We should have all we need."

"Thank you," Chibs said. "Ya mind helping me dump some into the tub?"

"No, no," Tara interjected. "I might need you." She looked up at Tig. "Could you go help Bobby?"

"Sure thing," Tig replied, and followed Bobby into the dorm to get the ice bath ready.

Tara tried counting the woman's pulse again and looked up at Chibs, "She's definitely bad off. She really needs to be in a hospital, Chibs."

He nodded, "I know. But she refused it. Something happened to her—someone attacked her or was after her. She was scared to death when I mentioned a hospital."

"Well, we'll do the best we can then, and if she gets worse… We'll have to come to a decision," Tara replied, rechecking the woman's temperature. She cursed softly. "Damn it. She hit 107. We've got to get her in ice. Now."

Tig and Bobby reentered the room just as she finished speaking. "It's ready" Bobby announced.

"And we have a ton of ice packs ready when you need them. We stuffed them in the freezers," Happy reported from the kitchen area.

"Great, thank you everyone," Chibs said appreciatively.

Tara glanced up at him again, "Help me undress her, okay? We need to get her down to her underwear. Any excessive clothing will prevent her from cooling properly."

They both began working at pulling the woman free of her shoes, jeans and t-shirt, and then gaped at the sight of her ribs. One whole side had blackened.

"No wonder she seemed in so much pain," Chibs thought out loud.

Both his and Tara's eyes scanned over the woman further, and they noticed more bruising at her inner thighs.

"Oh, God," Tara murmured.

"Mother Mary," Chibs whispered. "Any bastard who'd treat a woman like that doesn't deserve to live."

Tara tried to clear her head of what the woman had been through.

"I'll tape up her ribs once she's through with the ice baths and her temperature is stabilized. That's about all I can do for them besides get her some pain meds."

Chibs stooped down and lifted the woman up and then carried her back to the dorm, as Tara followed behind with the makeshift drip stand and IV.

Once he reached the tub of icy water, Chibs instructed Tara to set the IV stand next to the tub. "Support her head, okay," he asked. "I don't want her to bump it on the edge of the tub."

Tara reached forward and held the woman's head till Chibs had her settled into the ice water. The woman didn't even stir.

"That's good," Tara said softly, "She won't be feeling any discomfort right now."

"What about later," Chibs asked, concern creasing his forehead.

"She's going to have some later, yes," Tara clarified. "She'll have to be packed with ice off and on till we see if her temperature is going to stabilize. Also, with her ribs and all that bruising… Well, I can't write her a prescription without knowing her name."

"It's Adelaide Watson," came a soft reply from outside the door.

Tara looked puzzled, and Chibs actually gave a small laugh. "Chucky, get in here. How d'ya know her name?"

Chucky walked into the room sheepishly holding a wallet.

"I was folding her clothes for her, and this fell out of her jeans. Her ID is in there."

Chibs took the wallet and looked for himself, "Well, I'll be damned… He's right. Adelaide Watson." Chibs gave Tara a dimple-inducing grin. "Can ya write that scrip now, Doc?"


	5. Hunting His Prey

 

 

Tara was scribbling out a prescription for some pain medication while Chibs got Adelaide Watson settled into a bed. He quickly placed a pack of ice in each of her armpits, underneath her back and neck. Then hesitating for a second, but knowing what he had to do to help the woman, he hurriedly placed another one at the juncture of her thighs. Then he covered the woman lightly with a dampened sheet to aid in keeping her cool. He finished by aiming a fan at her and turning it on the high setting.

Adelaide whimpered lightly, and her head shifted on the pillow. "Mmm…Cold…" she murmured incoherently in her sleep.

"I know," Chibs told her softly. "Just hang in there. We're gonna get you well." He touched her forehead lightly, and looked over at Tara across the room. "She seems to be staying cool so far."

Tara nodded. "Be sure and keep a check on her actual temperature though. Every twenty minutes. If it approaches 104, get her back in an ice bath."

"I will," Chibs replied slowly, watching intently as she wrote on her prescription pad.

"What is it," she asked, seeing the concern on his face.

"Maybe you shouldn't write her a prescription after all," Chibs stated, obviously thinking it over. "If someone truly is looking for her—someone she's obviously afraid of, a scrip would leave a paper trail."

"Well what else can I do," Tara asked, a frown crossing her face. "When she wakes up she'll be in pain. She's going to need something."

"Write it out for me," Chibs suggested. "That way, she'll have access to the pills, but they'll be in my name so it won't help anyone find her."

Her hazel gaze stared him down for a moment, deep in thought. "Why are you doing this," she asked. "I mean, you're asking me to break the law in writing a false prescription, all for a woman you don't even know."

Chibs shrugged, at a loss for words. "I don't know, really. I just…"

"Does this have anything to do with Fiona's death?"

Chibs' dark eyes shot to hers in an instant. "No. Why would it?"

"Well, Chibs, it doesn't take a shrink to see the possible connection. You feel guilt because you couldn't save her from Jimmy O' Phelan before you were able to kill him. Maybe you're trying to make up for that somehow..."

He shook his head. "No. I cared about Fi, and it kills me that I couldn't save her. But it's got nothin' to do with this woman," he indicated Adelaide with a slight nod of his head in her direction. "I just want to help her get well. She's a scared, defenseless woman who's running for her life. She needs our help."

Tara stared at him skeptically for a moment but finally nodded. "Okay." She ripped up the slip of paper she'd been writing on and started a new one. She wrote on a second one and then handed them both to him. "I wrote one for hydrocodone, and I also wrote one for some 800 milligram Ibuprofen. If her pain begins to subside, try to wean her off the hydrocodone and give her the Ibuprofen instead."

Chibs nodded and pocketed the prescriptions. "Thanks, Doc."

"You're welcome. Now, I've got to get back and finish my shift, but I'll drop by afterward to see how she's doing. Call me in an emergency. Oh, and I left a syringe with another dose of Phenobarbital should she start convulsing again."

Tig and Quinn entered the dorm as Tara left and spoke softly, so as not to disturb Adelaide's sleep. "We got her car towed back here," Quinn reported. He handed over a suitcase. "This was inside. I figured she'd need it."

"Yeah, thanks," Chibs said, setting the suitcase in the floor at the foot of the bed.

"How's she doing," Tig asked, his vivid blue eyes reflecting his concern.

"I guess she's okay, for right now," Chibs answered, sitting down in a chair beside Adelaide's bed. "She only came out of the ice bath a few minutes ago but, so far, her temperature seems to be staying cooled down."

"That's great," Tig replied. "Maybe she'll be good as new soon."

"How's your hand," Chibs asked, fighting off the urge to chuckle.

"It's okay," Tig said, lifting his bitten hand to show off the gauze bandaging. "It wasn't as bad as it looked. Why I'm the one to always get bitten, I'll never know," he laughed. "But, at least this time it wasn't on my ass."

"Please…"

They all turned to Adelaide, whose head shifted restlessly back and forth against her pillow.

"Please… don't…"

"I wonder who she's so scared of," Tig asked.

"I don't know," Chibs answered. "But I'll find out as soon as I can."

"Well, Tig, let's go finish these repos," Quinn said. "Then we need to figure out what her car is gonna need toward repairing."

"Yeah, yeah," Tig grumbled as they exited the dorm. "Just a regular busy day."

Chibs chuckled and shook his head at the two men's grumblings when Adelaide caught his attention again.

"Please… Someone… H-help me…"

She became more restless and her hand twitched and formed a fist.

"Shhh," Chibs shushed her gently and brushed his finger down her cheek in a soothing gesture. "Nobody's gonna hurt ya now," he whispered. "You're safe."

"No…" she whimpered. "Never… Safe again…"

The corner of Chibs' mouth twitched as if to fight off a smile. _The woman obviously has no idea who she's stumbled upon_ , he thought. Between him and the rest of the club members, the woman was as safe as she could get. She may not realize it, but she lucked out when Chibs and Tig found her.

Instinctively, he took her small hand in his own and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I promise you, lass," he drawled. "We won't let anyone hurt ya."

He started to pull his hand out of hers so he could call his daughter, Karianne and inform her that he'd be staying in a dorm for the night. To his surprise, Adelaide's fingers curled around his and held his hand in place. She whimpered softly in protest to his leaving.

Surprised, Chibs settled back in his seat a few minutes more, and took a moment to look his fill of her.

In spite of the bruises marring her pale skin, the woman was stunning. Her long, dark wavy hair was currently in a loose braid that draped over her shoulder. Though her eyes were closed in sleep, he recalled the icy shade of blue that stood out drastically against the long black lashes that fringed them. Chibs' gaze moved to her mouth and he couldn't help but visually feast on the full lips. They were devoid of any artificial color and at the moment were unusually pale. But he had no doubt that in good health, they would be pink and soft and begging to be kissed.

He instantly shook his head and tried to clear his mind of the thought. _What the hell_ , he asked himself. _Only an hour ago the woman was at death's door and here I am drooling over her like some pre-teen lad._

Frustrated with himself, he pulled out his cell phone to call Karianne.

 

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

 

Furious, Liam Walker paced back and forth in what used to be Adelaide's bedroom, looking for clues as to where she might have gone.

"How could Laidey do this to me," he growled to himself. "I took good care of her and all I asked in return was that she do what I say. I _loved_ her. I'd even been willing to abide by her silly no-sex rule." He sat down on the edge of her bed and stewed some more.

 _Till she decided to taunt me with it_ , he justified in his twisted mind. _And then to assault me and leave me for dead, like the little coward she is_ , he raged. _She'll pay. I'll find her. And then I'm going to finish what I started_ , he vowed, feeling the searing frustration of his unmet needs. He'd fallen unconscious before his orgasm had even ended. _And then she really will die_.

Feeling fueled to start his search, he grabbed her cell phone off her night table and began going through her contacts to get in touch with. He dialed the first one on the list and made his voice sound shaky with emotion.

A second later, an elderly woman's voice answered with a soft, " _Hello_?"

"Hello, Abbie—Abbie Simpson? This is Liam Walker, Adelaide Watson's boyfriend. I was going through Laidey's contact list on her phone and came across your number. I was wondering… If you've," he paused for effect, and then bit back a fake sob for sympathy. "I was wondering if you have seen her. She's missing and I can't find her anywhere." He listened as the woman spoke kindly to him.

" _Why no, I've not seen her in ages, dear. She quit coming to my church a couple years ago_."

Quickly, Liam's politeness dwindled. "You have no idea where she is then?"

" _No, I'm sorry, I don't_ -"

Liam hung up without saying goodbye before the woman could finish her sentence. Then he was on to his next contact.

 _Angela McSands_. _Laidey's best friend_ , he thought. And idea struck him then on how to trick some information out of her. Or at the very least, find out how much she knew about his and Laidey's relationship. If she knew too much, she'd have to be disposed of.

Moments later, he dialed her from his burner so she wouldn't recognize the phone number and waited till she answered.

" _Hello_?"

"Am I speaking with Angela McSands," Liam asked, disguising his voice slightly.

" _Yes, this is she_ ," came the cautious reply. " _Who's calling_?"

"This is Detective Jacobs with Nashville P.D. I received a missing persons report on a…" He paused as if reading from the faux report. "An Adelaide Watson. It says she's been missing for about two days. Do you know anything about that?"

" _No_ ," came the immediate, surprised reply. " _But… I don't understand. How did you get my number_?"

"We took a number of items as evidence—one being Ms. Watson's cell phone. She left it behind, and we went through the contacts to see if anyone knows of her whereabouts. Her boyfriend stated you were her best friend, so that's why I've called you. You don't have any idea where Ms. Watson would be?"

" _N-no_ ," Angela said again. " _I-I I mean, I saw her on Sunday evening. But after our visit, I have no idea where she went. I assumed back to her house_."

 _She's good_ , Liam thought, impressed with the woman's ability to lie on the spur of the moment. _There's no way Laidey didn't tell her about what happened between us. Angela's almost as good a liar as me_ , he grinned. To test his theory he took the questioning in another direction.

"Sunday…So you saw her the day she disappeared. You're probably the last person to have seen her. Did she seem okay when you saw her," he asked. "Did she seem worried or scared or anything like that? Or had she mentioned an altercation of any kind?"

" _No, not at all_ ," Angela answered. " _We just had dinner together and chatted for a while. She was in a really good mood and didn't seem troubled in any way_."

 _Bingo_ , Liam thought. _She didn't have dinner with Laidey on Sunday_ , I _did_. _And Laidey most certainly wasn't in a good mood either_. "Okay," he tried to sound as if he was taking notes. "And how did she _appear_? Did she _look_ nervous or scared? Was she disheveled or anything?"

" _No_ ," replied Angela, beginning to sound slightly irritated. " _I've told you, she seemed absolutely fine_."

 _Wrong again_ , Liam thought triumphantly. "That's alright, Ms. McSands. I'm just trying to decipher if she disappeared of her own free will, or if she met with some possible foul play."

" _Well, seeing as she is like my sister, she would've told me if something was wrong. Now, if you don't have any more questions, I really need to get back to my work. I have a ton of papers to finish grading_."

With that, Liam heard the line click and then there was only silence.

"And I have all the answers I need," he thought out loud, with a devious grin. His green eyes glinted maliciously. "I think I'll pay you a visit very soon, Ms. McSands."


End file.
